The SATH project is commissioned by the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) and has as aim to install a satellite based water monitoring and flow forecasting system for the Niger River Basin.
The project is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Niger Basin Authority and is carried out by the Niger Basin Authority, EARS Earth and Environment Monitoring and UNESCO-IHE.

The River Niger Basin

With a length of 4,200km, the Niger river is the third longest river in Africa. It originates on the Guinean Fouta-Djalon Plateau after which it flows through vast flood plains in Mali (the Inner Delta) before resuming its path through Niger and Nigeria into the Atlantic ocean.
The active basin is shared by nine African states (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Guinee, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad) and the river plays a key role in the region in terms of food production, preserving biodiversity and as a barrier to desert encroachment.

Satellite-based Climatic Monitoring

In order to increase the frequency and accuracy of water resources data, a satellite-based water monitoring and flow forecasting system is being implemented in the basin. The use of satellite-based climatic monitoring, complementary to ground based stations,
provides a very cost-effective solution to resolving real times data series scarcity issues and enhances the capability of the NBA member states in their water resources and environmental management functions.

Niger Basin Authority (NBA)

The NBA is an inter-governmental organization of riparian states which has as mission to promote cooperation among member countries and to contribute to improvement of the living
conditions of the population in the basin through sustainable management of water resources and associated ecosystems. Its objectives are to:

harmonize and coordinate development of national policies on development of water resources in the basin;

participate in development planning by establishing and implementing a basin-wide integrated development plan;

promote and participate in the design and implementation of joint works and projects;

ensure the control and regulation of all forms of navigation on the river, its tributaries and sub-tributaries;

participate in the formulation of requests for assistance and mobilization of resources for studies and works necessary for basin development.

While the satellite-based climatic monitoring system is based at NBA headquarters in Niamey (Niger), the information is shared amongst all of the member countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Guinee, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad).

About

This site provides information about the SATH project and its products.
Products can be viewed on this site and downloaded from the FTP server.